Swimming Class A Favorite For Youngsters

May 24, 1985|By Ines Davis of The Sentinel Staff

ST. CLOUD — It looks like a busy Saturday afternoon at the pool. But it's Wednesday afternoon and the kindergartners from Ross E. Jeffries Elementary School are officially in class. Swimming class, that is, at the nearby Polynesian Inn pool.

The only such class in the county school system, it obviously is a favorite among youngsters.

All the instructors are volunteer parents. Ross E. Jeffries physical education teacher June Renick said the class is to teach swimming, not necessarily survival in the water. The parents use the American Red Cross method. Since the class is not part of the official school curriculum, Renick said it is funded through donations and the children's fees of $10 for a two-week session, five days a week.

In its second year, Renick said it has been successful so far. The kindergartners who graduate can swim the entire length of the pool by the time they enter the first grade, she said.